As a first year at Yale, the logistics of my actual career were incredibly far from my mind. This was before I realized I no longer wanted to be a doctor, but at that point I had seen Grey’s Anatomy and House and was pretty sure I knew what a successful medical career would look like. While it turned out my passion for medicine was fleeting, an area where my passion has never dimmed is food, namely free food. I learned quickly that recruiting events on campus were a great resource for free meals and snacks and made it my mission to attend as many as possible.
Yale does an incredible job of bringing employers to campus, meaning that at least once a week I would attend an information session or meet and greet to snag a few slices of pizza or a donut. These events serve a much broader purpose for most members of the Yale community, and (subliminally) they did for me too. Not only do they provide the opportunity to meet professionals in many areas of interest, but they also introduce students to a wide variety of potential careers. I’ve been to a myriad of events ranging from those held by technology companies and consulting and financial companies to events for branches of the military and service organizations.
My favorite event occurred in my first fall in the basement of the African-American House. A panel of speakers from Goldman Sachs addressed the crowd; this panel included a recent political science major from Yale and Valentino Carlotti, a partner in Human Capital Management. It was at this event that it really sank in that by majoring in political science, I was not confined to one area of interest for my entire life. I also learned about people who genuinely cared about their careers while simultaneously thriving in other areas of their lives. After the panel, I was selected to attend a smaller dinner with Val Carlotti, who amazed me with his career advice and stories. I remember being so impressed with how present and sharp he – and everyone else who came from Goldman Sachs to Yale’s campus – was.
This event, though formative, did not enter my mind for another two years. In fact, after my first year at Yale, I worked a simple job on campus for the summer and waitressed at a local diner; I enjoyed living in Silliman and getting to explore New Haven. Over my sophomore year I developed my passion for Kenya and non-profit work and spent my next summer interning in California for the Human Needs Project, beginning the foundation that would develop into my senior essay.
By the time my junior year came around, my priorities had changed slightly. As I thought about my career I realized my wants had shifted: I wanted to work in a more technical role that would develop skills for a variety of other career options. I wanted to work in a company with a developed culture of excellence. I wanted peers, mentors, and relationships that would continue for the rest of my life.
After going to a free counseling session at the Yale Office of Career Center, I remembered the information sessions I attended my first year at Yale. On a whim, I applied to Goldman Sachs and ended up getting the job I had applied for in Human Capital Management (HR) as a Recruiter.
My summer boss, Greg, and me at a wiffle ball tourney. Despite losing the three games we played, it was such a fun afternoon and a great way to get out of the office for a bit. It was also a community service event!
So this summer I packed up my things and moved to New York City. After doing a few weeks of research in Kenya, I spent the rest of my time working at the Goldman Sachs headquarters, and having one of the best summers of my life. I genuinely enjoyed my actual work, loved my team, and had a great time with all of the activities I was involved with.
My dad also visited me this summer all the way from California and we drove up to visit a friend in the Adirondacks! While we were there we had a great day of kayaking, swimming, and hiking! Still working hard on managing work-life balance, but getting out of the city for a day was a great way to do that!
Returning to campus for my last year has been both fantastic and sad. While I’m so happy to be back on campus, I am also excited to graduate and return to Goldman Sachs to start my career in the Investment Management Division. I also get to spend this year as an ambassador for Goldman on campus – holding office hours, helping students like me who have a potential interest in finance, and working on planning events.
Goldman offered interns cool opportunities. I toured the CNBC headquarters and watched filming for an episode of Mad Money! Fun fact: of the ~40 interns on this trip four of us were Yalies.
While I’m not sure if I’ll work in finance for the rest of my life – I still have a major passion for human rights and non-profit work – I am so excited to begin a career at a firm that I genuinely care about. I’m so grateful for this opportunity, which I know would not have been possible without the incredible resources offered to me by Yale from the moment I arrived on campus.
(My favorite part of the day: grabbing coffee from the Sky Lobby when there was a fun vendor set up. This day there was Taiyaki! What a great addition to my 3pm coffee run!)